Apparatus and method for producing combustible gases from biomass material

Patent · Tue Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:7067492

Caughey, R A

A reactor is claimed wherein a biomass is moved progressively downwardly along the upwardly facing side of an inclined grate supported with an enclosure comprising a retort, the rear and front walls of which provide, in conjunction with the grate, a plenum chamber at the downwardly facing side of the grate and a mixing chamber at the upwardly facing side of the grate. The said structure provides for converting the biomass by a process of destructive distillation to CO and ash characterized in that the grate is maintained at a temperature below the fusion temperature of the ash to prevent slagging of the ash by the expedient of supplying an excess of primary air to the plenum chamber at the lower end of the grate so that it flows upwardly along the downwardly facing side. The surplus is discharged at the top, providing the grate with a plurality of relatively small openings distributed throughout its length and breadth and providing fins at the downwardly facing side of the grate perpndicular to the plane of the underside of the grate which extend into the flowpath of the primary air. The rear wall of the retort is spaced rearwardly from and parallel to the downwardly facing side of the grate and forms therewith a manifold for containing the primary air as it flows upwardly therein, a force draft fan provides for delivering the primary air to the lower end of the manifold chamber and a damper at each end of the manifold chamber provides for controlling the flow of primary air.

• Assignee: Forest Fuels, Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4095958
• OSTI ID: 7067492
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 21 Jun 1977
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
BIOMASS
GASIFICATION
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DESIGN
FUEL GAS
SYNTHESIS
ASHES
DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESIDUES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
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